Cotton stripping machine



B. M. HYMAN COTTON STRIPPING MACHINE Oct. 6, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledSept. 9, 1950 INVENTOR.

Oct. 6, 1953 B.- M. HYMAN 2,654,201

COTTON STRIPPING MACHINE Filed Sept. 9, 1950 r 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 6,1953 Filed Sept. 9, 1950 B. M. HYMAN 2,654,201

COTTON STRIPPING MACHINE' 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. azza'zz/y//vzazzPMO'W Oct. 6, 1953 B. M. HYMAN 2,654,201

COTTON STRIPPING MACHINE Filed Sept. 9, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 PatentedOct. 6, 1953 Benjamin "Hyman, Moline, 111;, assignor to InternationalHarvester Company, a corpora- :tion of'N ow. J ersey erc icatim Seriembelfifioae ai tl L854! 6 Claims.

'Thisigavention relatesto machines iorstripping lint-bearing bolls fromcetton plants in the field and relates more in'particular toirnprovements mechanism for operating upon the bolls for removing themfrom the plants.

*Onetype of presently used cotton stripping machine employs a Iplant-rowfollowing JEraI-ne having a plant receiving-throat whereinthere is at least one upwardly and rearward-1y inel'ined stripper rollerupon one side of -the throat (moperating with a complemental upwardlyand rearwardly inclined-surfgceior compressing the cotton plants as themachine is advanced along the row. There are-plant cornbingfingers onthe stripping roiler. By compressing -the plants pregress'ively upwardlywhile the combing fingers ofi-the roller are carried throughthe plantsthe cotton bolls are squeezed or combed from-the plants and thereafterguided into conveyor meansfor-transf erring the bolls into a receptacleor trailer vehicle movingacross the ;fie lr 1 with the strippingrnachine. 'fihese contemporary machinesnecessarily crush many of theplant stems and break on pieces thereof which are conveyed from themachine along with the lint filled bolls. It desired, of; course, toavoid acoumulationortrash with-the bol ls and it is an object or thepresent invention to provide a stripping machine adaptedto operat e upontheplants and bolls in a manner decreasing the amount of; trash gleaned--with the boll s Gotten stripping machines are employed in thpseareaswhere there is comparatively little rainfall and prevailing winds ofhigher-velpcity than in the area where cotton pickers are used. ottonpickers: are constructed to avoidg-iniuring the cotton plants andparticularly immature hells which areallowed to remain on theplantsduring initial picking when the first-to-mati re lint is harvested. Thespecies or cottonharvested by the cotton stripper -machine matures with;out theboil opening op -wherefore itis possible to wait until allof thebolls mature before harvesting any of the crop so that 'it does notmatter if the plants are destroyed pursuant to harvest. Consequentlyduring harvest of the fully matured boll and piants try-cottopstrippingmachines many of the plant stems and bolls are dehydrated and crisp andtherefore mor conducive to creating dust and trash ior-contaminating thecotton lint.

A further object of this invention is the-=pro-' vision of a cottonstripper unit which substitutes for the compressing and combing: rollerof conventional machines a rotatable beaterstructure havin boll b ater.nmi c ns ra a ly there iQlI sn qkins he bo lsirc il. t e Q1 1 31.beater. s ructure minim ze cru hits an oth r mpa rmen cf. t e b.91 5. sotha by'remaining intact these bolls shield fine dust sett n s rointli ccon'lint- An ther .ebi qt, o invention i the 9 39.

v s oe of. a nQvs hQlLir n ier s ruc ure to the t easier '-b ei qnedyfrinthe cotte planisi itc rew r n roug Qi q mwy r 2;- tsnqme longs e ofthe rlari a qe rins t rea .Qiihe. cot er h nn ng me hanism- A furtherobject is the provision of; an armies. vrq articl row r t ansmit ingstru u for .ap z r ee. r tating. em-s. o. th emis an vin said o gh,where y t e. ear @2 9 o e au er is ren-e ded. to iac li teqcnv rare an ds h rgin o he ottonv b ls te wardlythrqugh'the trough.

.St n a siiher bl t is h rr v si nt 0i a c t on steep n ni w e n th roatab b l trans.- ierr ne struc re s rv s th we tra smit ine v tr ct ie fappl n rot ting ce. atzthe ir r t and. of the u Q Iie obj cts inhere n.d smommss by t e inv n ion w l c me app t r m he ensu n de cr 'e i ti tup d 11$ a its nn xed,dmwinss he m "Big, 1 is, a side eievational viewof a tricycle type farin tractor having the nearest reartract c hee i ewher v r h ht ar axle and axle, housingare shown insection, whereby thei qn s ripper mounted on t e tracto an sh wni ide, le tion s po ed- 2 isa iragmentary horizontal sectional view-taken on an enlarged scalesubstantially on the line 2-2 of Fig, 1 showing the auger trougharrangement, an elevator, and shaits with'sproclgets fortransmittingpower to strip r ns nit' mcuni dup n. sp tiv si e urin tractor. r V

:F a: an els at a ie sho ng he we Part at th t actor ltheiir nh an e rtcleraiional .view of we str p ing. uni s m ster! upo i th tracto tooccupy pa times-at rest-st: fi side oiivthetractqnbq rr there beinacmied tram this iew v li er-and di islermecha isms on; the (i -rent east othe str ppe Fin. :4: is; a horizcntar sectional view taken on anenlargedscale approximatelyat the plane indicatedsbyathe line45min 3, and frag!mentarily showing one 015- the auger troughs together with a portion orthe auger therein and showing, in section, a bearing support and slipclutch drive for the auger.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view on an enlarged scale taken throughthe casing of the stripping unit on the right side of the tractor at theplane indicated by the line 5 5 in Fig. 1 and showing fragments of theboll beater structure and of the boll transfer structure, together withmiter gear driving means therefor.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken through the bolltransfer mechanism at the plane indicated by the line 66 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged perspective view showing a portion of the bollbeater structure of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged transverse sectional view illustrating a modifiedtype of boll beater rotor structure and taken at a plane with respectthereto as that indicated by the line a::r, Fig. 5, with respect to thebeater structure I4.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of a further modifiedform of rotor structure having boll beater means thereon and also takenat a plane with respect to such structure as that indicated by the line:r-zc, Fig. 5, with respect to the beater structure 14.

Referring now to Fig. 1, the tricycle type farm tractor I l upon whichthe cotton stripping apparatus is mounted has a central body portion 12,

rear traction wheels 13 and l4 (l3 being shown in Fig. 3), driving axlesI5 for such wheels and axle housings I6 enclosing such axles. A steeringtruck I! supports the front end of the vehicle body and engine Ethereon.

f A carrying frame I8 is supported rearwardly of the tractor body whereit is secured by means of bolts l9 and bars to the axle housings l6.This frame l8 supports a gear box 2| from which a driven shaft 22projects. Gear box 2i receives power from a power take-off tail shaft,not shown, driven from the engine power plants E. Two downwardlyextending portions 23 and 24 of the frame l8, Figs. 1 and 2, supportroller bearing units 25 and 26, Fig. 2, wherein there is journalled ashaft 21. .21 are connected with coupling devices 28 and 29 which serveto constrain shafts 3| and 32 for rotation with the center shaft 27 andin coaxial relation therewith. Power is transmitted to the shaftstructure 21-3l-32 from the driven shaft 22 of the gear box 2|, Fig. 1,through a chain belt 33 which extends over a sprocket 34 on the shaft 22and a sprocket 35 on the shaft 21.

' There are two row-following frames for respective stripper unitsillustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 for occupying opposite sides of thetractor; the row following frame for the right side of the tractor bodyis designated 36, whereas the frame at the left side of the body isdesignated 36'. .These frames are essentially identically constructed,the significant differences being that one is shaped for mounting on theleft side of the vehicle and theother on the right side thereof. Thecotton stripping mechanism associated with each of these frames islikewise essentially identical so that the complete machine with t twoframes is adapted to simultaneously strip the bolls from rows of cottonplants at respective sides of the steering truck I! while the tractormoves lengthwise of these rows. In view of the identical structure ofthe cotton picker units on the two sides of the tractor, the: ensuingdescription will be directed primarily to the unit on the right side ofthe tractor and identical reference characters, plus a prime, will beapplied to corre- Opposite ends of this shaft sponding elements of theunit on the left side of the vehicle where shown.

The stripper unit frame 36 is fabricated from sheet metal. A rearportion of this frame comprises a transfer auger compartment 31communicative with an auger trough 38 which extends forwardly therefrom.Also extending forwardly from the transfer compartment 31 is a box-likeframe element 39, Fig. 3, having a wall structure 4| extending along theinner side thereof. A rear wall 42 of the frame 36, Fig. 2, has arearwardly turned portion 43 containing an opening 44 in which there isinserted a semicircular collar 45 which embraces the forward half of abearing 46 mounted on the outer race of the roller bearing unit 25. Asemi-circular collar portion 41' complemental to the portion 46 isdetach'ably assemblable therewith by means of bolts, not shown. Alsoupon the rear wall 42 of the frame 36 is a bearing bracket 48 secured.to said wall by bolts 49. A bearing 5! of this hearing bracket 49supports the shaft 3|.

Forwardly from the rear wall 42 in a wall 52 of the auger trough 38there is anchored a hearing 53 having a portion of a transverse augershaft 54 journaled therein. This auger shaft 54 has a helical vane 55disposed thereabout. Sprockets 56 and 5! are secured to an outer endportion of the shaft 54 and the sprocket 56 is adapted to impartrotating motion to the auger 54-55 and to the sprocket 51 when driven bya chain belt 58, Fig. 1, from a sprocket 59 on the outer end of theshaft 3 I.

A chain belt 6! is trained over the sprocket 51 and a sprocket 62, Fig.1, journaled upon a stub shaft 63 mounted upon the frame 36. A secondsprocket 64 constrained for rotation with the sprocket 62 is operablethrough a chain 65 for driving a sprocket 66, Figs. 1 and 5, which ismounted upon and constrained for rotation with a cross shaft 61. Crossshaft 61 is rotatively supported in bearing units 68 and 69, Fig. 5,mounted in side walls of the row-following frame 36.

Also constrained for rotation with the shaft 61 is a double crown pinionH having one set of teeth meshed with a beveled pinion 12 mounted uponand constrained for rotation with a shaft 13 of a boil beater rotorinstrumentality or structure 14. In Figs. 5 and 7 it can be seen thatthe rotor structure '14 includes boll beater means in the form offin-like beater elements or paddles 15 extending lengthwise of the shaft73 and having an edge secured thereto by welding or other suitable meanswherefor these elements 15 have elongated edges 16 extending lengthwiseof the rotor structure and projecting radially outwardly from the shaft13 with respect to the rotor structure axis. A lower end portion of therotor structure shaft 73 is supported in a bearing 71 formed upon abracket 18 which is mounted upon a side wall of the auger trough 36; seeFig. l. The end of the rotor shaft 73 below and forwardly of the bearing1'1 has an elongated ribbed point or cap 19 telescopically mountedthereon. The upper end portion of the rotor structure shaft 13 isjournaled in a bearing 8| mounted upon a transverse wall 82 of the frame36.

A second bearing, 83, supported in the frame wall 82 rotatively supportsthe rear end of a shaft 84 which is constrained for rotation with apinion 85 thereon meshed with the other set of teeth on'the double crownpinion H. The forward end of the shaft 84 is journaled in a bearing 86carried in a front end wall 8! of the frame 36. A plurality of beatermounting strips '3 8l iigs. -and' -6, extend lengthwise of the shaft 84and are secured thereto byanystandard :means as bo'lts 8-9. A centerportion of-a boll transfer and plant beaterro'tor structure, generallydesignated 90 and comprising shaft-84 and the strips '88,- has theshanks of a plurality of plant beating and-brushing elements or securedthereto by short bolts :92; see 'Figs. 3 and 6. "These elements 3|extend into a plant accommodating space above the throat TH and besidethe sidewall M where, during-rotationoi the structurelfl, they :beat andbrush the upper portion of plantswhose stalks are insaid throat toremove bolls therefrom and transfer these-bolls as well :as thoseremoved by the rotor structure N into the auger trough 38.

The rotor structure so constitutes a storm. .of rotatable powertransmittingstructure for'rotating a sprocket 133-011 the front end ofthe shaft 84. InFig. 1 it can be seen that sprocket-193 is operablyconnected by achainBA with a: sprocket :95 on a common hub $98 with;a-.sma1l diameter sprocket 9 "Ihesprocket hub 96 is journaled upon ahub stub shaft :98 mounted upon the front end wall 81, Figs. .5 and :3.A chain :93,"Fig. l,

operably connects the sprocket .Ellwitha sprocket Nil/Figs. 1 and' l,which has .a hub' 1:52 journa'led upon a long drive shaft M13 coaxialwith nd .for driving an auger Mum- Ma disposed within-the auger trough:38. A driving connection is normally maintained between .the sprocketII) I and the shaft. I 03 by a load limiting slip clutch comprising adriven. element I05 connected to the shat-t by a pin infiand adrivingelement I61 rotatively mounted :upon the shaft and having radialprojections :IlIB meshedwith axial. projections we on the front end iofthe sprocket illl. Acompression spring IIIrnaintai-ns-denticles H2 ofthe driving element- HFI with axially pr j ting denticles :Iluof thedriven-element I05 excepting under conditions of overload when thesedenticlesare adaptedtov slip .over one another.

The auger i 94 and-the drive shaft 153 are supported by a long tubeI-;I;3 extend n through a hole I in the front end wall-tlioi he frame 38and non-rotatively mounted in a tubular holder. member. M5 thereforwhich i mount d upon the rear face of said wall 81. A set of rollerbearings I I B adjacent the front end :ofathe, tube rotatively supportthe front end of the shaft I03 while a set of roller bearings H1 in arear end portion of the tube I-I3rotativel support the rear end of theshaft I83. Aspider H 8 connected between a rear end portion of the shaftI113 and the augertube I'M constrain the auger ior, rotation with theshaft I03. The front end of the auger tube I04 is journaled upon rollerbearings H9.

Cotton bolls removed-from the-rows of plants by the elongated bollbeater "rotor I4 with the bar-like ribs I5 are raked by the transferrotor structure 90 into the auger trough 38 where the auger I 04-I 04aoperates upon these bolls to move them rearwardly into the transfercompartment 31 where the bolls are moved by the auger 54-'55 inwardly ofthe machine into an elevator pickup compartment I2I for engagement bycleats I22 on an elevator belt I23 which is driven by sprockets I24 andI25, Fig. 2, for carrying the bolls upwardly through an elevator chuteI26 for discharge into a vehicular receptacle (not shown).

In the operation of the apparatus the gear box driven shaft 22 is drivenclockwise, as viewed in Fig. 1, Thus the shaft structure 21-3I-32 isdriven clockwise, as viewed from the left end in Fig. 1. Chain belt 58is then effective tor driving the spro'cketifi and thetransverse augershaft 54 clockwise, as viewed-ainFig. 1. 'Chain belt 6|, the sprocketsfiz and '64 'andthe chain be1t'65 are therefore efiecti-ve to drive thecross shaft 61 clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 1, and in the directionindicated :by the'arrow associated with this shaft in Fig.5.Consequently the bolls-transfer :rotor structure Bil-will be caused to.rotate counter-clockwise, as viewed from the front end 'in'Fign3, and isindicated by the curved :arrow adjacent to the point 99 of thisrotatable beater structure in Fig. 5. In Fig. 1 it can beseenthat therotor structure To slopes forwardly and'downwardly and in Fig.3 it canbe seen that the'frame wall member 4| is in opposed spaced relationlaterally from the rotor .structu-re'il l to cooperate therewith informing a plant receiving throat TH. The plants of one row of. suchplants are guided into the throatrTl-Iwh-ile the adjacent row of the.plants is guided intotheacorresponding throat:T-I-I' of the stripperunit at the opposite side of the tractor. zGui-dingzof theplantrtol-iage into the throat TH and .TH is facilitated :by plantlifter and divider structures No and-Isl which are illustrated in.connectionzwith'theframe 36 in Figs '1 and i. The plant litter anddivtider structure I-BI in Fig. A ihasaplant ili fterwgrille component532 and. a plant dividercomponent I33. A grille plant lifter componentI3 1, 1, and plant divider component I35 are constructed similarly tothe lifter component l'fizzand the divider component I 3.3 of thestructure 131 Fig. 4. The plant lifter and divider structures I31? andIsl are respectively connected with-the front end of framememberdwFisandthe fron end wall'fll of the bifurcated fr me; to, Flee- 3an 4- na m hrthes s uctures 1:343. and H31. op ra e --conventionally there, isno needfor further elaboration upon their structure function.

As the machine advances through the field the beater elements adjacentthe lower front ends of the rotor structures 14 and I4 will presslowerportions of the plants against the wallsJII and AI cooperating therewithin formingthe throats THiand TH and will strike against bolls upon lowerportions of the plants for knocking the bolls loose from the plant.Inasmuch-as the rotor structures 14 and M rotate clockwiseandcounterclockwise respect v lythey will-tend to precipitate the removedbolls upwardly. A similar action is performed by more rearward higherelevated portions of the rotorstructures M [and 14 upon higher portionsof the plants within the throats TH andTH'. vThe .boll beater elementsI5 have their edges, 16 spaced apart circumferene tially of thestructure a SUffLQiEIlt ,distance to provide boll accommodating spacesI35 therebetween into which ortions of thebolls canproject to enable thebeater element 15 to strike them with more effective impact.

Movement of the detached bolls into the auger troughs 38 and 38' isexpedited by the boll transfer rotor structures and 90' since thesetransfer rotor structures are rotated in the directions indicated by thearrows associated therewith in Fig. 3 so as to swee the fingers 9I and9| thereof from registry with the throat toward the position ofregistration of the auger troughs while these fingers traverse the lowerhalf of their circular paths. The angers IM-IMa and I04- lMa driven inthe manner explained above are efiective for transferring the bollsrearwardly in,

the troughs while turbulating the bolls and causing debris to bedischarged through slit-like trans- 'verse openings I36 in the bottom ofthe auger trough. When the bolls reach the transfer compartments 3'I3'I'the transfer augers 5455 and 54'55 will advance the bolls into thecompartment I2I from which they are picked up by the elevator cleats I22and moved upwardly through the elevator chute I25.

A modified type of boll beater rotor structure is shown in Fig. 8wherein the vanes or paddles corresponding to those designated I5 in thefirst embodiment are designated 15b and project directly radially of theshaft 13b corresponding to the shaft I3. Curved strut elements I34between adjacent elements 15b are provided for bracing the latter.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 9 the boll beater rotor structureincludes a square shaft component 73c having elongated strip-like beaterelements 150 extending along and secured to respective facets thereof bybolts I36. Edge portions I31 of the beater paddles 75c extend marginallybeyond corresponding long edges of the shaft facets progressivelycircumferentially of 1. In a machine for stripping bolls from field rowsof cotton plants, a mobile frame having an elongated side wall having alower edge and forming a side of a plant row receiving throat, a boilreceiving conveyor generally parallel to said wall and forming anopposing wall of said throat, an

elongated rotor instrumentality journalled in said frame adjacent saidlower edge of said side wall, and a boll transfer and plant beater rotorstructure journalled in said frame above said conveyor on an axisextending lengthwise of said throat.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said elongated rotorinstrumentality comprises fin-like boll beater paddles extendinglengthwise thereof and spaced circumferentially thereof.

3. In a machine for stripping bolls from field rows of cotton plants, amobile frame having front and rear ends and comprising an upwardlyextending side wall having an elongated portion inclining upwardly andrearwardly of such frame to form a side of a plant row receiving throatwhich is open at the front end of such frame, a boll receiving conveyorextending lengthwise of said elongated wall portion and spaced laterallytherefrom to form an opposite side of said throat,

'an elongated rotor instrumentality journalled in said frame within saidthroat in parallelism with said elongated wall portion and spacedlaterally therefrom to receive the plants of a plant row between saidwall portion and said instrumentality, said instrumentality beingoperable when rotated to knock bolls contacted thereby from plantswithin the throat, and a boll transfer and plant beater rotor structurejournalled in said frame above said conveyor on an axis extendinglengthwise of said throat.

4. The combination set forth in claim 3 wherein said boll transfer andplant beater rotor structure comprises a plurality of elongated plantbeating and brushing elements rojecting radially thereof and spacedapart axially thereof.

5. The combination set forth in claim 3 wherein said boll transfer andplant beater rotor structure comprises a plurality of plant beating andbrushing fingers projecting radially thereof and spaced apart axiallythereof, and means for rotating said structure in the direction causingmovement of said fingers horizontally from the throat toward the troughpursuant to movement through the lower half of their circular path ofmovement about the axis of such structure.

6. In a machine for stripping bolls from field rows of cotton plants, amobile frame having front and rear ends and comprising an upwardlyextending side wall having an elongated portion inclining upwardly andrearwardly of such frame to form a side of a plant row receiving throatwhich is open at the front end of such frame, a boll receiving conveyortrough facing upwardly and extending lengthwise of said elongated wallportion in spaced relation laterally therefrom to form an opposite sideof said throat though inclined less than said wall portion and disposedat lower elevation than rearward parts of said wall portion, auger meansin said trough for conveying bolls rearwardly therein, an elongatedrotor instrumentality journalled in said frame within said throat inparallelism with said elongated wall portion and spaced laterallytherefrom to receive the plants of a plant row between said wall portionand said instrumentality, said instrumentality being operable whenrotated to knock bolls contacted thereby from plants within the throat,and a boll transfer and plant beater rotor structure journalled in saidframe above said conveyor on an axis extending lengthwise of saidthroat.

BENJAMIN M. I-IYMAN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 364,440 Rohling June 7, 1887 1,069,997 Appleby Aug. 12, 19131,237,832 Smith Aug. 21, 1917 2,434,124 Schaaf et al Jan. 6, 19482,451,130 Townsend Oct. 12, 1948 2,491,777 Smith Dec. 20, 1949 2,532,065Hyman Nov. 28, 1950 2,571,224 Edwards Oct. 16, 1951

